20 exciting cartoons for boys

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

From the forgotten fantasy of the 1980s to the modern blockbuster about Spider-Man.

Despite the title of the collection, just in case, we remind you that gender stereotypes are bad, and a child can love anything, and this is normal. But it is these cartoons that boys really like, although girls will certainly watch them with pleasure.

1. Robin Hood

• USA, 1973.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 83 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The weak-willed and cowardly Prince John, under the guidance of a cunning adviser Sir Hiss, dishonestly takes the English throne. The only one who can resist the tyrant is the noble forest robber Robin Hood.

Due to a tight budget, animators had to reuse footage from previous Disney films. On the web, you can find many examples (say, this one) of how entire scenes were copied. But this can be explained by the enormous responsibility and burden that fell on the shoulders of the animators, because after the release of The Sleeping Beauty, half of the department was dismissed in order to save money.

By the way, the image of Robin Hood and the bright green color of his clothes many years later formed the basis for the character of Nick Wilde from the cartoon "Zootopia".

2. Fox and dog

• USA, 1981.
• Animated adventure, drama.
• Duration: 83 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

A compassionate widow finds Toda the orphaned fox and takes it to her farm as a pet. Meanwhile, Cooper's puppy is growing up in the neighborhood. The fox and the dog should be enemies, but fate decreed otherwise.

In the original book by Daniel P. Mannix, the ending was so tragic that they decided to end the cartoon differently. However, you shouldn't expect a happy ending, traditional for the Disney studio. Later, the second part was also released directly on DVD with low-quality animation and a strange plot, which in no case should be watched.

3. Flight of dragons

• USA, UK, Japan, 1982.
• Animated adventure, fantasy.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

At the behest of the Green Mage Carolinois, the poor scientist-inventor Peter Dickinson finds himself in a fairyland where good wizards and dragons live. The main character is not there by chance: he has to defeat the evil sorcerer Omaddan. The only trouble is that Peter accidentally turns into a dragon.

4. Lords of time

• France, Hungary, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, 1982.
• Animated science fiction.
• Duration: 75 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Little boy Piel finds himself completely alone on the abandoned planet of Perdida. His father's friend Jaffar rushes to the rescue. The astronaut will have to overcome many trials and fight not only for the life of Piel, but also for the whole planet.

The renowned French animator Rene Laloux shot only three full-length cartoons: Wild Planet, Lords of Time and Gandahar. Light years . Nevertheless, his work influenced many directors and animators, including the great Hayao Miyazaki.

In addition to Laloux, the famous comic book artist Jean Möbius Giraud also worked on Lords of Time. The result was a film that in France became something like the Soviet Mystery of the Third Planet.

5. Black cauldron

• USA, 1985.
• Animated adventure, fantasy.
• Duration: 80 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 4.

The swineherd boy Taran discovers that his prize pig, Hyun Wen, knows the location of the legendary Black Cauldron, which, in the hands of the evil Horned King, can destroy the country.

The commercial failure of the Black Cauldron nearly pushed the Disney studio to the brink of bankruptcy. After that, the company had to abandon experimentation and return to the time-tested model. This decision later resulted in the legendary "Little Mermaid".

Despite the general shortcomings, the cartoon is interesting primarily because the dark side of the studio's creativity is manifested in it. Take John Hurt's dreadful Horned King, and the horde of zombie killers. Coincidence or not, young Tim Burton was among the animators working on the painting. True, his drawings did not pass internal censorship, so they were not used.

6. Star Patrol: The Legend of Orin

• USA, 1985.
• Animated adventure, science fiction.
• Duration: 100 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

People who have never seen sunlight and are at the mercy of the cruel lord Zygon toil deep underground. This continues until one of them (Orin) unearths the hilt of the legendary sword. A new incredible world opens up to the young man, which turns out to be much larger than he could have imagined.

Star Patrol collected a modest box office and went almost unnoticed at the box office. Meanwhile, it is one of the first animated films to be released in 3D.

7. Treasure Island

• USSR, 1988.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 107 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

A mysterious guest rents a room at the Admiral Benbow tavern. It is soon revealed that this is the seasoned pirate Billy Bones, who knows where the legendary Captain Flint buried untold treasures. By chance, a map showing the location falls into the hands of a young inn manager named Jimmy.

Soviet filmmaker David Cherkassky was a real innovator of his time. For example, in "Treasure Island", hand-drawn animation was supplemented by the play of live actors, and in his "The Adventures of Captain Vrungel" filming of the real sea was used.

8. Oliver and Company

• USA, 1988.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 74 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

The pursuit of the careless street dog Dodger brings the lonely kitten Oliver into the company of stray dogs. It turns out that the middle-aged pickpocket, who has sheltered the pack, Feygin owes money to an influential mafioso. To help out the owner, Oliver and the company go on business.

The cartoon is based on the novel by Charles Dickens "The Adventures of Oliver Twist", but at the same time all the main characters in it became animals, and the action was transferred to the bustling and colorful New York of the 1980s.

9. All dogs go to heaven

• Great Britain, USA, 1989.
• Animated adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 84 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 8.

A dog named Charlie dies in a fight with an evil pit bull and goes to heaven. True, he does not stay in heaven for long, finding a not entirely honest way to return. After a series of incredible adventures, the dog meets a little orphan named Anna-Maria, who has an amazing ability to talk to animals.

The legendary animator Don Bluth deliberately chose a rather provocative title for his picture. He liked that it changes the attitude towards the cartoon even before watching it.

10. Balto

• USA, 1995.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 71 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Selfless half-breed dog Balto sets out in search of the lost team of diphtheria medicine. In this dangerous event he is assisted by Boris the goose, the beautiful husky Jenna and young bears.

The cartoon, produced by Steven Spielberg, was released around the same time as the revolutionary Toy Story and therefore had little commercial success. Interestingly, Balto's story is based on real events. The brave sled dog, who saved the lives of hundreds of people, was even erected a monument in New York's Central Park.

11. Toy story

• USA, 1995.
• Animated adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 81 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Boy Andy does not suspect that his toys come to life, as soon as he turns away. The owner's favorite for a long time was the cowboy Woody. But one day a self-confident space ranger Buzz Lightyear appears in the room, and Woody fades into the background and begins to lose credibility.

Toy Story is a turning point in the development of animation. Pixar's groundbreaking project was the first full-length 3D cartoon entirely created on a computer. In addition, the picture remarkably reveals the theme of the conflict between tradition and high technology and simply pleases the audience with a touching story about friendship, mutual assistance and trust.

12. Atlantis: The Lost World

• USA, 2001.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

Young scientist Milo Tetch is passionate about the idea of finding the vanished Atlantis without a trace. He tries long and unsuccessfully to convince the scientific community to sponsor a research expedition until the eccentric Mr. Whitmore comes to the rescue. Thanks to his patronage, Milo finally gets a chance to unravel the mystery of an ancient civilization, and even as part of a high-class crew aboard a submarine.

Atlantis is often included in the lists of undeservedly forgotten Disney treasures, along with Black Cauldron, Rescuers in Australia and Treasure Planet. The cartoon came out at a bad time, when trendy 3D graphics began to supplant classic hand-drawn animation, and predictably failed at the box office.

13. Monsters, Inc

• USA, 2001.
• Animated adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 92 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0

The action takes place in the city of Monstropolis, where children's screams are used as a source of electricity. The screams are mined by a giant corporation, behind whose walls professionals in intimidation enter children's rooms through special portal doors every day. But one day, the habitual way of the best employee of the company Sally and his cheerful friend Mike Wazowski collapses: due to confusion, a little girl ends up in Monstropolis. Now terrible troubles threaten not only the main characters, but the whole world of monsters.

Monsters, Inc. came out the same year as Shrek and ended up losing the last Oscar for Best Animated Film. Perhaps it was the Pixar cartoon that would have won then, had it not been for such a strong competitor. However, the defeat did not prevent the "Corporation" from collecting almost half a billion box office in the world box office.

Later, the cartoon acquired a prequel called "Monsters University", which tells the story of the formation of friendship between Mike and Sally.

14. Treasure planet

• USA, 2002.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

An inquisitive teenager Jim unwittingly gives his mother a lot of trouble and grief. The situation takes a very unpleasant turn when space pirates raid their small inn "Admiral Benbow", and Jim is in the hands of a holographic map of the galaxy showing the location of the semi-legendary treasure planet of the fearless Captain Flint.

The creators of the cartoon Ron Clements and John Musker spent a long time trying to convince the Disney studio to launch the adaptation of the famous adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson "Treasure Island". And for the sake of this, they even agreed to first work on "Hercules". Only then was the project given the green light.

Combining classic hand-drawn techniques with 3D animation has created incredibly epic scenes. But even excellent visuals did not help Treasure Planet to collect a large box office. The cartoon failed miserably at the box office, although it was nominated for an Oscar (although it lost to Miyazaki's Spirited Away).

15. Sinbad: The Legend of the Seven Seas

• USA, 2003.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 86 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

To save his friend's life, adventurer and rogue Sinbad must find and return a priceless artifact - the Book of the World. The problem is that a beautiful and very dangerous goddess of Chaos named Eris is behind the abduction.

Unfortunately, this fairy tale was released at a very bad time. The era of traditional 2D animation was over, so Sinbad was in for a huge box-office failure. Only years later, the tape was remembered and its merits were recognized.

16. Cars

• USA, 2006.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 112 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

An arrogant sports car named Lightning McQueen gets lost on the way to the final race and accidentally finds himself in the godforsaken town of Radiator Springs. There, the hero immediately manages to mischief, so the locals are not going to let McQueen go until he fixes everything. At first, what is happening enrages Lightning, but thanks to his new friends, he soon realizes how empty his former life was.

Cars are often recognized as one of Pixar's weakest projects. The fact is that the very idea of a world of living cars seemed rather strange to many viewers. And although the first film in the franchise turned out to be quite good, numerous sequels and spin-offs have completely lost the intimate charm of the original.

17. How to Train Your Dragon

• USA, 2010.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 98 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The harsh Vikings have been fighting the dragons terrorizing the island of Olukh for generations in a row. The son of the chieftain Hiccup does not have the skills of a dragon-slayer, but he is endowed with a sharp mind. During the next attack on the city, he knocks down a rare dragon with a catapult of his own invention. However, the boy is unable to kill the helpless creature. Instead, Hiccup nurses the dragon and gives him a name - Toothless. Communicating with a new pet, the hero realizes that dragons are not at all as dangerous as it is commonly believed.

"How to Train Your Dragon" is considered to be an animation classic and one of the best cartoons of the DreamWorks studio. In total, there were three full-length parts of the franchise (this is not counting a few short films and the series "Dragons").

18. Ralph

• USA, 2012.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 101 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

For 30 years now, the good-natured hulk Ralph has been working as a villain in the arcade toy Master Felix Jr. The problem is that good guy Felix always gets gold medals and universal love, and poor Ralph is content with only silent disdain. In the end, the distressed thug, who, in addition, was not invited to the celebration of the anniversary of his own game, goes in search of fame and recognition in a nearby slot machine.

This wonderful cartoon has managed to please everyone. Children will definitely like a kind story about finding themselves and a bright picture. Well, adult gamers in love with old video games will recognize a lot of minor characters from Pacman, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter and other arcade retro.

19. City of Heroes

• USA, 2014.
• Animated adventures.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The futuristic city of San Francisco is home to teenage genius Hiro Hamada. The boy, keen on fighting robots, is invited to early enroll in a local university. Hiro enthusiastically prepares for the entrance test, but a sudden tragedy disrupts his plans and changes his life forever.

The City of Heroes is based in part on the eponymous 80s Marvel comic book series, and is great at revealing the challenges of growing up and overcoming the loss of loved ones. In addition, viewers of all ages will be captivated by the Baymax robot, which looks like a giant marshmallow.

20. Spider-Man: Through the Universes

• USA, 2018.
• Animated comedy, comics, action.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Policeman's son Miles Morales unwittingly witnesses how the scoundrel Kingpin launches a collider to open a passage between dimensions. Moreover, he accidentally gets superpowers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. True, the guy does not know how to use them at all, and he does not consider himself a hero at all. And then Spider-Men from other worlds come to the aid of a teenager. Now they must work together to figure out how to stop the villain before it's too late.

Sony Pictures' large-scale project on alternative spider universes is a beautifully told story, impressive visuals, and an incredible amount of jokes. But, perhaps, the main advantage of the cartoon is that it will be interesting to both schoolchildren and adult fans of comics, and ordinary viewers, for whom Peter Parker was a childhood hero.